Real People do Real Work.

Laborers and Professionals keep the state functioning and they deserve respect and fair financial rewards.

Delcie Light

The North Dakot Legislature voted themselves a raise. At the same time, they denied raises to North Dakota teachers and denied Unemployment Benefits to Crystal Sugar Workers.

Those workers did NOT go on strike. They were locked out! Locked out by a CEO who takes over a million dollars in salary! The locked out employees have worked, paid taxes, and shopped in North Dakota for many years. They have been unpaid volulnterers, contributing members of their communities. They have raised families here.

They deserved better treatment from Crystal Sugar, and from the legislature.

If North Dakota wishes to get and keep good teachers, they must be paid a living wage. Many young teachers have student loans to pay. They may have young families and wish to purchase a home. Denying them a living wage will drive them away and possibly out of teaching. I was saddened when an outstanding young teacher, a graduate of DLHS, left this community for much better wages.

Unless you have had a classroom of 25-30 kids to teach or a high school schedule of 25-30 kids per class for 5 or 6 classes a day, you have no idea the stresses and exhaustion. Yes, there are rewards to teaching, but intangible rewards don't pay for the rent, the groceries, or the utilities, not to mention make student loan payments, car payments, and buy gas.

Again, this legislature fails people who work hard and make a contribution to their communities and to the state. The legislature is granted power by the people. That power is to benefit the citizens, not themselves. Legislators are there by the will of the people. The people are fickle and legislators are temporary.

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